Divine Healing and the Gospel: Signs for the Unsaved

Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately. So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

(Acts 9:32-35)

 The Purpose of Divine Healing

Why does our Lord want His saints to lay hands on the unsaved so that they may be healed and delivered? The answer lies in our Lord's own teaching that these would be the signs He would perform through His saints. Jesus has instructed us to lay our hands on the unsaved so that He can perform signs of healing and deliverance. Through these demonstrations of God's power, the unsaved may believe in the message of the gospel and thus be saved.

The Account of Aeneas

In the passage quoted above, we see that the apostle Peter had come to the town of Lydda to hold meetings. By that time, Peter's reputation for healing the sick would have spread widely throughout the region, and many seeking healing would have sought him out. In this particular instance, it appears that family members petitioned Peter to come to their home to heal Aeneas, and Peter responded by going to minister to him.

This account refers to Aeneas as "a certain man." Whenever this term appears in the book of Acts, it usually refers to someone who is unsaved, whereas those who were saved are typically described as "a certain disciple." The Lord used Peter to heal Aeneas on this occasion, and because of that sign, the Holy Spirit tells us that every unsaved person in the towns of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord—they were saved.

The Holy Spirit specifically tells us that those who saw Aeneas turned to the Lord, clearly implying that everyone in those two towns knew about his condition. When they witnessed him walking about completely healed, they had no doubt they were witnessing a miracle of God.

Paul's Ministry in Lystra

They became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there. And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

(Acts 14:6-22)

In this account, we see that the apostle Paul and his ministry team had come to Lystra, where they preached the gospel for the first time. During one of his meetings, the Lord used Paul to heal an unsaved, crippled man. Because of that sign, many in Lystra and the surrounding towns were saved, having witnessed God's power displayed.

However, due to the idol worship prevalent in those cities at the time, there was an unfortunate consequence: when the people saw what Paul had done, some tried to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. Paul and Barnabas had to correct this erroneous thinking by explaining that it was God—not Paul's power—that had healed the man.

The Clear Biblical Pattern

These examples demonstrate that Scripture clearly reveals our Lord Jesus wants His saints to lay hands on the unsaved so that He can perform His signs of healing and deliverance. Our Lord performs these signs so that the unsaved can witness God's power displayed, believe the message of the gospel, and be saved.

The Gift of the Word of Knowledge

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.

(1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

Although the gift of the word of knowledge is not always manifested through the laying on of hands, the Holy Spirit does use this gift on occasions to minister to the unsaved. He does this so that the unsaved can be exposed to the power of God, believe in Him, and thus be saved.

From the passage quoted above, we can clearly see that it is the will of the Holy Spirit for us as believers to allow Him to manifest Himself through us in this gift for the specific purpose of ministering to the unsaved. The entire purpose of using this gift for the unsaved is so they can recognize that God is real and that He is present in the church. The result of their encountering the supernatural power of God will be that they give their lives to the Lord.

Conclusion

As believers, we should expect the Holy Spirit to use us in this manner—ministering the supernatural power of God to the unsaved—and we should yield to Him when He does.

Michael E.B. Maher

Laying on of Hands

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